Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has hit a milestone - 100 days in the super city's top job.
The straight-talking mayor has called for resignations, a halting of Three Waters work, and asset sales. But the big tests are still to come.
It started with champers and smiles, then the self-proclaimed "fixer" got to work. The first 100 days of Wayne Brown's reign were headlined by calls for resignations at Auckland Transport and others, an order to stop Three Waters work and a plan to sell off airport shares.
Not that he's been overly keen to talk about it.
But just before Christmas came an early gift. Mayor Brown's belt-tightening budget - aimed at plugging a $295 million shortfall - was given the go-ahead for public consultation.
"The shortfall was larger than expected," Brown said.
And it's major - asset sales, council savings of $130 million next year, and cutting services such as council-run childcare.
But Brown took attention away from his own big moment by sparking a trading halt after wrongly announcing Auckland Airport was set to start a capital raise.
"Any informed person can make a suggestion. I didn't make a statement on behalf of anything, I'm just a guy who looks out there and says what I think," Brown said.
Despite some turbulence, there's plenty of support around the council table.
"He's a straightforward, gruff guy. It's like being an apprentice in front of an old boss, so I like the guy," said first-term Waitakere Councillor Ken Turner.
But Turner said there are plenty of tests ahead.
"I think his challenge is going to be getting consensus," Turner said.
On the other side of the ledger, some have reservations.
"There's been a lot of reaction already to the messages Mayor Brown is putting out to the community but at the same time we're going to go through that budget process in the next couple of months, that's going to be where the real test is," Waitakere Councillor Shane Henderson said.
And from the experts comes a bit of free advice.
"There are some tough decisions to be made, but nonetheless, this does require clear communication to the public, and getting on board with the councillors on the governing body," said political commentator Grant Duncan.
Plenty ahead as a self-styled fixer readies his tools
